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Espalter St. Dwellings

Espalter St. DwellingsMadrid, Spain. 1956Architect: Julio Cano Lasso

"The architecture of housing is some kind of repetitive housing, and so should be treated, otherwise, it would distort reality. Unity produced by repetition of well-designed dwellings cause no impression of monotony and lack of creativity but, on the contrary, rythm and harmony on which every urban fabric is based. So, one of the defining qualities of urban architecture is certain neutrality and qualities of generalization and repetition.The site was really difficult to solve, 20 meters front by 60 deep, with the advantage, however, of its rear edge looming the Botanical Garden. I had many doubts; the sense of social prestige was always linked to the so-called exterior apartments, and I wondered if interior apartments facing the Garden, but not the main street, could be undervalued despite its southern orientation.Another problem was the treatment of the main entrance, as people had to reach a staircase 40 meters far away from street. Dark corridors should be avoided. Great hallway, or zaguan, was designed in order to achieve it by a pleasant connection of of public spaces."